Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Combination Guns and Drillings Usefulness of the Savage 24?

For mixed hunting???

For those who have used them to take a mixed bag of game, please share you're experience and opinions...

I used to have a 22 mag over 410. I didn't use it for a mixed bag of game, but for shooting the same game under different conditions. I mostly used it as a squirrel gun. The rifle was great for when the squirrel wasn't moving and the 410 shotgun for when I missed with the rifle and the squirrel was heading for other parts. It worked pretty good, the selector was on the side and quick to operate. I used it in a similar way on a few rabbits.

I gave it to my son and he relined the barrel and chambered it for the 22LR, which is much more practical considering the game it was used on. I kind of wish he would let me have it back.

I had a 223 over 20ga and shooting it without a scope it worked well. I can no longer see iron sights and need a scope, IMO the savage sucks with a scope. The scope has to be mounted so high to clear the hammer and selector that that it is very awkward to use.

My 24 is a pretty beatup old 22 mag over 20. It wears a very expensive scope (an old, beatup 1-5X Simmons Whitetail Classic). It is one of the most useful guns I owne. She lives behind the kitchen door. I have not used it for much wing shooting. A few pigeons around the barn, and a bunch of starlings. I've shot a bunch of stuff with the 22WMR, groundhogs, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, rats, raccoons, possums, and some other stuff that didn't belong around the buildings. Some of the rabbits and squirrels have been with the shotgun while hunting, as well. The shotgun barrel shoots pretty tight, so you have to give stuff a little distance, if you want to eat it. I have yet to shoot a turkey with it. I think they are afraid of it. In Virginia where I hunt, I can't shoot a center fire on the ground, only from trees, so all my German guns can only be used from treestands. The old 24 gets a good bit of field time there, as well. I use it for both small game hunting, and calling varmints. Pretty handy.
Bfly

I have a 24D 22WMR/20 ga. I usede it stock for some time then got a hair to make a high quality campers companion out of it.I had the barrels shortened to 20" and put a Firesight front and a Williams peep rear on it.

The .22 WMR barrel is very accurate. The original full choke shotgun bore was pretty tight for short range stuff but a long range hammer.

In shortening the barrels most of the full choke was lost in the shotgun barrel. It did and still does shoot slugs very well. It hits point of aim and 3" left at 50 yards when using the 22 WMR sight in. I didn't like the full choke but I am going to send it out to get screw in chokes put in it as I like a modified better than the Cyl/I-C I ended up with.

I have used it on; Sage Rats, Grey Diggers, Grouse, Quail, Rabbit, Coyote and Badgers.

With it and my '06/.338 I am pretty well set around deer and elk
camp.

I have a bunch of 'em and think that they are useful, but as with any multi-purpose tool, it is generally good at a couple of things, but not great at anything.

I think that the 22Mag/20 is the most useful Savage 24 for small game and birds. If you have a 22LR in 22Mag chambered insert from MCACE, you can shoot good groups with 22LR ammo too. I think that the 223/20 or 30-30/20 are probably the most useful shooting larger animals, but most survival situations are less than 72 hours, so there probably isn't much call for shooting a deer.

If you're looking at Savage 24s, you should read Marshall Stantons article on www.beartoothbullets.com. Probably the best practical review of the Savage 24. Actually, almost everything that Marshall has written is pretty close to spot on. He wrote a particularly good daypack article too.

As I have written before my experience with one was poor. Trigger pull weight was about 9 lbs. AFTER the trigger had been worked over!

The stock on the one I had seemed to be designed for use with either iron sights or a scope. When I got a tight cheek weld to shoot the shotgun the comb came back and pounded the hell out of my cheek. Never could fire more than l or 2 20 ga. shells at one time without having a bruise on my cheek.

I would never buy another.

Jim

I've got a 24V .357/20. I bought it used in excellent condition. It came with high see through rings and a Tasco 4x32. The gun is being worked on. I haven't shot it much, but the see throughs work well. I can easily and quickly sight the shotgun through them. I'm 72 and need the scope for the rifle.

The barrels were not properly regulated. A 20 ga slug hit about 8 inches low at 30 yards. A very talented friend of mine has cut it to 18.5 inches, threaded it for chokes, reamed it to .357 Maximum, removed the rear sight, installed a shotgun bead front sight and is now regulating the barrels. I should have it back shortly.

I think it's going to be a very handy around the farm truck gun. Hunting, .38s loaded light for small game, Mags and Maxis for the larger stuff. The 20 ga. for grouse, snowshoes and squirrels in the woods. Slug and Maxi for hogs, deer, etc.

Pete

I have a .22/410 gauge with the plastic stock that has been in our family since about 1948, a .222/20, and an almost new .30-30/12 gauge. My best hunting buddy Ed Siemon has the .223/12 gauge.

These are, without doubt, VERY useful, very accurate weapons. Fur, feathers, deer, groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits, quail, phesant, perfect turkey gun - and as a survival tool - unsurpassed.

I load my .30-30 rounds for this rifle with 125 grain Nosler BT bullets and deer drop as if hit by lightning. What else can I say but the triggers all needed work but now break like the proverbial glass rod.

Terry

222 rem/ 20 ga

Took turkey with the 20 and the occasional coyote with the 222 that came looking for turkey.

I gave one with a nice straight stock, a very trim nice handling model in 20ga 3" and 30-30 to my best friend when he was moving to Alaska. He killed several moose with it and a Bunch of ptarmigan over years. The gun was well made with both barrels regulated fairly well. He later graduated to a Marocchi 12ga/308 BBF I gave him for his help surveying my property corners...and because he is a great friend.

Jimmy still uses the Savage 24 a lot and would never turn loose of it.

I would agree that they have simple triggers that tend to be on the heavy side.

I don't recall having my cheek bruised when shooting a Savage 24, but I've never shot a round of clay pideons with one. I do, however, recall how uncomfortable it was to shoot slugs from a Savage 24 Camper.

As far as I can see, the barrels aren't regulated, so getting both barrels to shoot to the same (approximate) POA is a matter of luck. My experience has been that the barrels on RF 24s generally shoot closer to same POA than do the CF 24s. I once had a 24V in 222/20 that would put the 1st cold barrel shot from the 222 in the 10-ring, but the subseqent shots could fall anywhere within a 6" circle with the same POA.

That is pretty much common in combination guns in general. It is one of the drawbacks. Best take careful aim that first shot.

Just noticed this form listing--DUH
I have a 24V with 5 barrels (222,30-30,357max,410/410,and I just bought a 223),the 24F with 2 barrels (30-30 and 223) and the 2400 series with 6 barrels (222,308,5.56 x 52R, 2-12/12 and a 20/20)
As you can see I love my savages
They really work well in cenral FLA-- when hunting from the buggy its like having 2 guns in your hands--buck jumps up near you and its shotgun time but he jumps up at a distance just go to rifle
Had my 12/30-30 in the turkey blind last weekend--no gobbler but theres one less bob cat

I have killed a greater variety of stuff with my 222/20 ga than any other gun I own, and don't mind if it gets scratched

I owned three, and tried hard to like them, but they were just built too cheaply for me. I got rid of them all.
Poorly regulated barrels, poor stock design, sticky extractor, poor sights, bad fit and finish, so-so accuracy.
I ended up paying substantially more for high quality German combination guns and am now satisfied. But Heym, Merkel and Krieghoff don't sell their stuff for a few hundred bucks.

I have the Savage/Valmet combo in 12ga / 308 win. I has killed several deer, wood ducks and squirrels. It shoots Win "0" buck like a turkey full choke. It is my favorite thicket gun. I find it very versatile

I've been looking for a Savage 2400 for a long time. Never can seem to find one. Anyone got any leads on one?

They're hard to find anymore. I had two back before the Valmet 412s came on the market. I sold both and ordered the 412 with several barrel sets...BIG mistake!

Those 2400s were trimmer and lighter guns. They also take the early Sako dovetail mounts, which cost much less than the big heavy 412 style mounts.

I'd like to find one in 12/308 myself.

there 2 for sale on gun broker right now---both a little over 1 day left